


Baby Brother

by owenharpersgirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Family, Brothers, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2014-05-27
Packaged: 2018-01-26 19:38:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1700126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owenharpersgirl/pseuds/owenharpersgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Cas gets sick and Dean and Sam can't figure out why, will Gabriel and Balthazar be able to help their baby brother? Implied future Destiel</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Motel

Dean and Sam sat in their hotel room cleaning their guns when the sound of fluttering wings caused them to look up.

“Cas?” Dean said, shocked. It’s not that he was shocked to see the angel; it was the condition the angel was in. Castiel was swaying dangerously where he stood; is face was pale, he was sweating and trembling, and there was a steady trickle of blood coming from his nose as well as covering his clothes.

“Dean, Sam,” Cas rasped and collapsed forward.

“Cas!” Dean shouted as he jumped forward to catch his friend before he hit the floor, “Sam help me get him on the bed.” The brothers pulled Cas onto the bed and Sam to get the first aid kit from the car.

“Cas? Can you hear me?” Dean asked and the angel groaned, but did not pen his eyes, “Come on Cas, wake up.” Nothing.

“How is he?” Sam asked as he came back into the room.

“I can’t get him to wake up,” Dean said, “Help me get his coat off.” They pulled the trench coat off and Dean threw it on the other bed. They hot his shirt off him and Sam threw it on the floor, knowing the blood had ruined it beyond salvation. When he turned back he saw his brother’s face had gone pale and, looking down at the angel between them, he saw why. Castiel’s chest was torn apart and bloodied. The flesh was mutilated and just looking at it made Sam feel sick. He looked up at his brother and could see the wet look in his brother’s eyes.

“Hey,” Sam said and Dean looked up, “He’s gonna be fine, okay?” Dean nodded and Sam handed him a towel and Dean gently started cleaning up the blood. They cleaned the wounds and dressed his chest with bandages. Cas remained unconscious the whole time and when they finished with his chest they started on his other injuries. As Dean cleaned up a wound on his leg, Sam held a thermometer under Cas’ tongue.

“104.5,” Sam said and Dean cursed.

“He’s an angel, he doesn’t get sick, especially not this sick,” Dean said, “We need help.”

“Bobby’s?” Sam suggested.

“Yeah,” Dean nodded, “I’m gonna try to get his temperature down, can you call him?” Sam nodded and got off the bed. He grabbed a wet cloth and handed it to Dean who started wiping down Cas’ face while Sam took his phone outside.

“Come on Cas,” Dean pleaded, “I need you to wake up man. I need you.” Cas didn’t move.

“Bobby said we can bring him there,” Sam said.

“Alright good,” Dean said gruffly, “Let’s get our stuff packed up and head out.” They packed quickly and Sam pulled the car up front. They got Cas into the back seat and Sam held out his hand expectantly.

“What?” Dean asked and Sam looked at him knowingly.

“I’ll drive, go get in the back seat with Cas,” Sam said.

“What? No, I’ll drive,” Dean protested weakly.

“Dean,” Sam said and Dean gave in without further argument, hanging over his keys and getting in the back.


	2. Bobby's House

Sam didn’t bother sticking to the speed limit and the boys made it to Bobby’s in record time. The older hunter came out of his house when he heard the Impala pull up and waited for the boys to get out. He wasn’t totally sure what had happened, all Sam had said was that Cas was sick and they needed a place to stay. Sam got out of the car and hurried around to help Dean with Cas.

“Bring him in,” Bobby said and led th4m inside. The hunters deposited the angel on the couch and stood back.

“What happened?” Bobby asked.

“No idea,” Dean said and leaned down next to Cas to check his temperature again, “He showed up at our motel room and passed out.”

“Alright,” Bobby sighed, “You two keep his temperature down; I’ll start looking for weird angel diseases.”

“Thanks Bobby,” Dean said as his surrogate father walked out of the room, “Sam, why don’t you go help him?”

“You sure?” Sam asked.

“Yeah go on,” Dean said, eyes not straying from Cas, “We’ll be fine.” Sam nodded and left the room, leaving his big brother and the angel alone.

“Don’t worry Cas, we’re gonna make you better,” Dean murmured, moving the cloth down his neck, “I promise we’ll make you better.”

But Cas didn’t get better. Over the next two weeks he remained the same. His temperature fluxuated between 104-106 degrees, but he never woke up; he never moved. Sam and Dean had started moving his arms and legs after Sam read online about the effects of remaining motionless for an extended period of time.

In that time neither of the boys had thought about hunting. It was approaching the third week when Bobby broached the subject.

“When were you boys thinking about hunting again?” the older man asked as they ate breakfast. Sam and Dean looked p in surprise.

“You want us out of here Bobby?” Dean asked.

“No, it’s not that,” Bobby said, “You boys know you can stay here whenever and for however long you want. But Cas ain’t getting’ any better and he ain’t gettin’ any worse. We’ve got squat on what’s wrong with him. So, you boys might as well get out there again. The longer you’re off the radar, the more likely it is something will come looking for ya.”

“What do we do with Cas?” Sam asked.

“You leave him in the back of the Impala,” Bobby said sarcastically, “You leave him here ya idgits. I’ll look after him and call ya if anything happens.” Sam nodded in agreement, but Dean looked hesitant.

“I dunno Bobby,” he said, “What if he wakes up and thinks we’ve abandoned him?”

“Dean, he’ll he fine,” Bobby said, leaning forward, “Look, I know you care for him…”

“He’s my friend Bobby,” Dean said and Bobby smirked at him.

“Dean, I have known you since you were a boy,” Bobby said, “Despite how hard you try to hide what you’re feeling, I can read you like an open book.” Dean looked from his surrogate father to his brother.

“It was pretty obvious dude,” Sam said, smiling at his older brother.

“I don’t want to lose him Bobby,” Dean admitted quietly, hating how his voice cracked.

“Dean, do you think I would let anything happen to him? Regardless of how you felt?” Bobby asked and Dean shook his head, “Exactly. I promise that if anything happens I will call you. But you’re no use sitting around here. At least out there you boys might be able to find something that’ll help him.” Dean nodded, knowing Bobby was right.

“Alright, we’ll head out around noon,” he said, “Sam you think you can find us a destination?”

“Actually,” Bobby said, “I already found you one. It’s about an hour from here. I figured it would be good for you boys to start out not too far away. I’m pretty certain it’s a trickster. Mysterious deaths, candy wrappers found at the crime scenes…”

“Sounds like a trickster,” Sam agreed, “I’ll go make sure the car’s ready if you want to check on Cas before we go.” Dean nodded and left the room to check on the angel.

“Thanks Bobby,” Sam said and Bobby nodded, waving him off.

“Don’t worry about it boy,” he said, “Just watch out for your brother.”


	3. Gabriel

Dean and Sam had arrived in the town just an hour outside Sioux Falls. They had followed the trail of the Trickster to a warehouse. The boys walked into the warehouse and were greeted by Gabriel sitting in a luxurious chair eating a chocolate bar.

“Gabriel,” Sam said, “We should’ve known it was you.”

“Hiya boys,” Gabriel greeted cheerfully, “Where’s Cassie?”

“Sick,” Dean responded, “What are you doing here Gabriel?”

“What do you mean he’s sick?” a voice behind them said and the boys turned to see Gabriel standing there. When they looked back at where they had been sitting they saw the whole set up was gone. Turning back, they found Gabriel standing right in front of them.

“What’s wrong with Castiel?” he demanded.

“We don’t know,” Sam said, “He’s sick, has been for about two weeks now.”

“Where is he?” Gabriel asked.

“Why the hell should we tell you?” Dean asked.

“Either you tell me where he is or I will tear apart everywhere you have ever been to find him,” Gabriel said, and from his tone they knew he was serious.

“Are you gonna hurt him?” Dean asked, “Cause if you hurt him I swear…” But Gabriel was gone before he could finish his threat.

“Where did he go?” Sam asked and Dean shrugged. Just then, Sam’s phone rang and he and Dean looked each other nervously.

“Hello?” Sam said hesitantly.

“Why the hell is there an archangel in my house?” Bobby shouted.

“He was the trickster we were hunting,” Sam explained, “We’re on our way back. Just make sure he doesn’t hurt Cas.” The boys ran back out to the car and zoomed off.


	4. Baby Cas

They arrived back at Bobby’s in under an hour. Dean had barely parked the car before both boys were out and running inside. They found Bobby sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee.

“What happened? Where’s Gabriel?” Dean asked.

“In there, and before you go bursting in, Cas is fine,” Bobby said.

“You’re sure?” Dean asked.

“I’m sure,” Bobby assured him, “At first I was all prepared to lay down the holy oil, but…”

“But what?” Sam asked and Bobby motioned for them to follow him. What they saw made them understand what Bobby was saying. Castiel was exactly where they’d left him: lying quiet and motionless on the couch. However, now there was another figure in the room. Gabriel was kneeling right next to the couch, still as a statue. His one hand was gripping Castiel’s while his other was lying on the prone angel’s forehead.

“Gabriel?” Sam said quietly. The angel made no move to indicate he had heard Sam, but the boys saw the way his body stiffened for a moment before he relaxed again.

“Gabriel, you okay?” Sam tried again.

“You know,” Gabriel said after a moment and his voice was much gentler than they were used to, “He used to injure himself all the time as a fledgling. He was always getting sick. First time he got sick he was only a few days old. None of us were really sure how it happened…” He trailed off and his eyes got a glazed over appearance that let Sam, Dean, and Bobby know he wasn’t with them anymore.

_Gabriel was sitting in a field watching all the new fledglings run around. He liked watching them play and have fun. It was better than sitting around listening to Michael and Lucifer fighting. So he came down here. He did what the other archangels wouldn’t do and interacted with the fledglings._

_However, as Gabriel looked around, he realized one little fledgling was missing._

_“Gabey!” he smirked and turned around just as Balthazar leaped into his arms._

_“There you are,” he said, laughing, “I was lookin’ for ya buddy, where were you?”_

_“I was with Cas,” Balthazar said and his eyes filled with tears, causing Gabriel to become concerned._

_“Balthazar what’s wrong?” Gabriel asked._

_“Castiel’s sick,” he said._

_“Sick? What d’you mean sick?” he asked. Cas was sick? How? He knew fledglings could get sick as their Grace wasn’t strong enough to fend off all human illness and by them getting sick it makes their Grace stronger. But Castiel was only a few days old. He was the last fledgling and there were very few people allowed near him right now for fear of him getting sick or hurt. Only the archangels and Balthazar as the child already had a strong bond with his younger brother were allowed near him._

_“I dunno,” Balthazar said sadly, “Mikey says he’s sick.”_

_“Come on,” Gabriel said, picking up he little angel, “Let’s see if we can find out what’s going on.” He waved to the other angels watching the fledglings to let them know he had Balthazar before he walked in the direction of the nursery. He walked in and saw Raphael, Michael, and Lucifer standing there. Michael was holding Castiel who was screaming and crying, his face was bright red and his little wings were fluttering uselessly. Lucifer was standing next to him actually looking worried as he tried to calm the baby angel down, while Raphael stood off to the side scowling._

_“What’s wrong with him?” Gabriel asked as he put Balthazar down. The three other archangels turned to look at him and Lucifer sighed in relief._

_“Finally, someone who can get him to stop screaming,” Raphael sneered. Gabriel stepped forward with his arms outstretched and Michael placed the little angel in them._

_“Hush little on,” he murmured, using a voice he reserved only for Castiel and Balthazar._

_“He’s burning up,” he said in alarm, looking up at Michael._

_“We don’t know what happened,” Michael admitted, “He spiked a fever and has not stopped crying since.”_

_“He was fine when I put him down for a nap,” Gabriel said, “Can’t you just heal him?”_

_“He’s strong,” Lucifer said, “He needs to fight this off himself.”_

_“He’s a baby,” Gabriel argued, “None of the fledgling have ever been this sick this young before.”_

_“Father has great plans for him,” Michael said, “He clearly believes Castiel to be strong enough to fight this off.” Raphael scoffed, but said nothing._

_“You’re to look after him right?” she asked, “Cause I don’t want to.” Gabriel rolled his eyes, but nodded as he adjusted the crying angel in his arms._

_“Yeah I’ll look after him, of course I will,” he said and that was all it took for the others to fly off. Gabriel sighed and sat down, rocking Castiel back and forth as Balthazar climbed up on his other side…_

“Gabriel? Gabriel!” Dean said loudly and Gabriel was brought out of his memory.

“I have to go,” he said, standing up.

“What? Whoa, whoa, whoa, go? Go where?” Dean asked, “You showed up here after we said not to – which by the way, we’re still not sure how you found him – and not you’re just gonna leave?’

“First of all, if you don’t want someone to find out where he is, don’t think so loudly,” Gabriel said, “And secondly, I’m coming back.” With that he was gone, and Sam, Dean, and Bobby were left wondering what had just happened. However, they were not wondering for long as he reappeared a moment later. But he wasn’t alone.

“Balthazar?” Sam and Dean said incredulously.


	5. Angel Blade

“Hey chuckleheads,” he said smiling. But when he caught sight of Cas his smile vanished and he as next to the couch in an instant.

“What happened?” he demanded and Dean sighed in exasperation at being asked again.

“We don’t know,” he said, “But since you two are here, why don’t you tell us?” Gabriel stood next to his brother as Balthazar started to carefully remove the bandages from Cas’ chest. When the bandages were gone, Sam and Dean could see that the wounds almost appeared to be glowing.

“There’s only one thing that could do this,” Balthazar said darkly.

“An angel blade,” Gabriel confirmed.

“That means this was done by an angel,” Dean said.

“Most likely,” Gabriel said,

“But why isn’t he waking up?” Sam asked, “He’s been hurt before, but he’s never been out of it for two weeks before.”

“I’m not sure,” Balthazar admitted, “But, when I find out I shall let you all know.” There was a flutter of wings and then he was gone.

“You not gong with him to help?” Dean asked.

“Nope, I’m gonna stay right here and look after Cas,” Gabriel said.

“You know we can watch out for him right?” Dean said as Gabriel snapped his fingers and started rewrapping Castiel’s chest with the bandages that had just appeared.

“When Sam’s hurt are you the one to look after him Dean?” Gabriel asked, sounding more serious than they had ever heard him before.

“Yeah, of course,” Dean replied.

“You do it because he’s your little brother, right?” Gabriel said, “You care about him and love him and him being okay is the most important thing to you?” Dean looked at Sam for a moment before he nodded.

“Yeah, more than anything,” Dean said.

“Well Cas is my little brother,” Gabriel stated, “And even though I’ve hurt him, I still care, I still love him and I want to make sure he’s okay.’ Gabriel turned and the boys were shocked to see the raw emotion on his face as he spoke.

"You two are able to take care of him,” Gabriel said, “But I need to.”


	6. Big Brothers

After the raw revelation from Gabriel, no more was said on the matter of him staying there. A week passed and no word was heard from Balthazar. Gabriel sat in a chair next to his brother, only moving to change the bandages or get cold water for Cas’ fever. Sam and Dean didn’t go on another hunt that week, still not fully trusting Gabriel to leave him alone with Cas.  
Sam could see how Cas’ illness was affecting his brother. Dean got what it was like to want to look after your little brother. He knew how Gabriel was feeling right now so he didn’t say anything. But being unable to help Cas was killing him. Sam could see this and knew he had o do something to help his brother. It took him a while to think of what to do, but finally he figured it out. He just hoped Gabriel would go along with it.

“Hey Gabriel,” Sam said later that day.

“Hmmm,” Gabriel hummed in acknowledgment, but his gaze never shifted from Cas.

“I, uh, need some help making sure all the sigils are still in place,” Sam said and Gabriel finally turned to him.

“What?” he asked in confusion.

“Well, we haven’t checked them since it rained a couple days ago so I wanted to make sure they were still intact,” Sam explained. He could see Dean watching him out of the corner of his eye, but his brother said nothing.

“Take Dean-o with you,” Gabriel said, turning back to his brother.

“I would,” Sam said quickly, and Gabriel turned back to him, “But since you’re an angel I figured you’d know a few more that we don’t. The more sigils, the safer Cas is.” Gabriel looked like he wanted to argue, but after Sam mentioned keeping Cas safe he agreed.

“Alright fine,” he conceded, “Let’s go.” He turned to Dean, look serious.

“Anything happens to him while I’m gone and I’ll send you back to TV Land,” he threatened.

“Don’t worry,” Dean held his hands up, “He’s safe with me.” Gabriel nodded and headed out the door with Sam; Dean took the seat Gabriel had vacated and took Castiel’s hand.

“Hey Cas,” he murmured.


	7. Wake Up Cas

“Hey Cas,” Dean murmured, “Listen, I’m not very good with chick flick moments, but I’m gonna be honest with you… I’m not doing so good. You’ve been out for three weeks now and I, uh, I don’t know what to do. We’ve gone weeks without seeing you before, and you’ve come to when you were hurt before, but never like this. You’ve never been this hurt, never to the point where we don’t know what to do. Hell, even Gabriel and Balthazar don’t know what to do!” He paused for a moment, hoping Cas would respond to him. When the angel didn’t move Dean continued.

“Gabriel hasn’t left your side since he got here. Sam had to make up a story about checking the sigils just to get him out of the house. I know he did it for me, so I could be alone with you. For all the time’s he’s been a pain in the ass he’s a pretty good brother,” Dean laughed quietly, shaking his head, “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but Gabriel’s a pretty good brother too. For all the shit he’s done, he’s here now. He’s here and he’s taking care of you when you need him. I know Sammy’s actually kind of hoping he’ll stick around once you’re better, but don’t tell him I said that… You are going to get better Cas. Balthazar’s off trying to find you a cure and when he finds it you’re gonna wake up. And when you do, there’s something I gotta tell you. So you better get your ass up soon so I can say it.”

He stopped talking and stared at Cas, willing him to open his eyes.

“Cas? Cas come on,” he pleaded, “Please Cas, please wake up.” He held Castiel’s hand in both of his and dropped his head to lean on them as a couple tears leaked out of his eyes.


	8. Name

Dean was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice when Gabriel reentered the room.

“Well isn’t this cute?” he said, causing Dean to jump.

“Dammit Gabriel,” he cursed, “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to see you holding my little brother’s hand,” Gabriel smirked.

“Shut up,” Dean said, turning away so Gabriel wouldn’t see the blush on his cheeks, “What did you want anyway? Where’s Sam?”

“Outside helping the old guy bring in firewood,” he said.

“The ‘old guy’,” Dean ground out, “Is named Bobby, and if you want to keep staying here you’ll start remembering that.” Gabriel held up his hands in defense and sat next to Cas in a chair that had just appeared.

“So, what did you want to tell him?” Gabriel asked.

“When he wakes up I’ll let him know,” Dean stated, not looking at the archangel. They sat in silence for a while, both worrying for the same reason.

“What was he like?” Dean asked suddenly.

“What?” Gabriel blinked in surprise.

“Cas, what was he like?” Dean asked again, “When he was younger.” Gabriel paused for a moment, smiling slightly.

“He was tiny,” Gabriel finally said, a far off look in his eyes, “Smallest fledgling in all of Heaven, with black wings that were so tiny and yet seemed too big.”

_Gabriel looked down at the baby fledgling in the basket._

_“What’s his name?” little Balthazar asked._

_“He doesn’t have one yet,” Michael said, looking down at the young angel._

_“You have to give him one,” Gabriel said, putting his hands on the boy’s shoulders._

_“Me?’ Balthazar asked, tipping his head back to look at Gabriel with wide eyes._

_“Yup, you’re the youngest, well, aside from this little guy,” Gabriel said, “And because of that you get to name him.”_

_“Hmm,” Balthazar hummed, “Cas.”_

_“Cas?” Michael asked._

_“Yeah,” Balthazar said, “Short for Castiel.”_

_“Castiel huh?” Michael asked as he reached down and picked up the baby fledgling, “What do you think huh? Is your name Castiel?” The baby cooed and waved his arms, his little wings twitched uselessly._

_“I think he likes it buddy,” Gabriel said proudly, smiling down at the boy. Balthazar beamed up at him, pleased that he did so well and gave his baby brother a good name…_

“Wait, Balthazar named Cas?” Dean asked in shock.

“Yup,” Gabriel said, “He was quite pleased with himself too.”

“Huh,” Dean said,” Who named you?” Gabriel’s eyes darkened and the look of caring that had been there a moment ago disappeared.

“Lucifer,” he responded coldly.

“Oh, sorry,” Dean said awkwardly.

“Me too,” Gabriel said. They sat awkwardly in silence for a moment before Dean spoke up.

“So Cas was tiny?” he asked.

“Oh yeah,” Gabriel said, the smile back on his face, “Smallest angel in Heaven with tiny black wings and big blue eyes. He only ever calmed down for me or Balthazar. If Michael held him, or Raphael especially, he would scream until he was put down or I held him.”

“Sam was the same,” Dean said, getting a far off look in his eyes just as Gabriel had before, “He was okay around Bobby or Pastor Jim, but he never cried when I held him. Whenever he got hurt or had a bad dream he would cry until I held him.” Gabriel chuckled quietly and Dean looked at him.

“What?” he asked.

“I never thought I’d see the day when you and I were bonding over baby brothers,” Gabriel replied, smirking. Dean chuckled too.

“There’s a lot of surprised this week.”


	9. Demon Curses and Learning to Fly

Weeks passed slowly and still there was no change in Cas. Balthazar had returned several times and now believed they were dealing with a demon curse.

“A demon curse that turns him into Sleeping Beauty?” Dean asked hen Balthazar had told them.

“What? That cartoon princess who sleeps until she’s kissed by her ‘true love’? No, so don’t go getting any ideas about how to wake him up,” Balthazar replied sarcastically and Gabriel and Sam both laughed at the look on Dean’s face.

“It means he’s in some sort of dream state,” Balthazar explained, “He’ll remain unconscious until we can get him out of it.”

“How do we do that?” Bobby asked.

“Find the demon that cursed him, get the antidote, then kill him,” Balthazar said simply.

“Oh, well that should be easy, not like there are a lot of demons out there or anything,” Dean said sarcastically, “And I thought it was an angel blade?”

“What’s difficult for you is not difficult for me,” Balthazar said, “And an angel blade caused the wounds on his chest, I still have no leads on that. But it’s a   
demon curse keeping him unconscious.” He finished speaking and then with a flutter of wings he was gone.

“Well, he was cheerful,” Bobby said.

“So, what do we do until we find the demon?” Sam asked.

“I think Gabriel should tell us more about Cas when he was younger,” Dean said smirking, “Something embarrassing so I can blackmail him with it later.” Sam snorted as Dean shrugged innocently.

“Well, if it’s to use against him later then I guess I can tell you something,” Gabriel smirked as he tried to think of a story he could tell, “The first time he leaned to fly was a disaster…”

_Four year old Castiel stood alone in the middle of a field staring up at the sky. He was watching his brothers and sisters fly around above him._

_“Hey buddy,” a voice behind him said and Cas turned around to see Gabriel walking up to him._

_“Hi Gabriel,” he said. The archangel bent down next to him and put his arm around the little fledgling. Castiel leaned into the embrace and sighed sadly._

_“What’s wrong little buddy?” Gabriel asked._

_“Uriel was laughing at me cause I can’t fly like everyone else,” Cas said, sniffing._

_“Aw buddy, don’t be sad.” Gabriel said, “You’re still little, that’s why you can’t fly yet.”_

_“But I don’t want to be little anymore!” Cas cried, “I want to be big like you so I can actually fly and so my wings won’t keep making me fall over!” Gabriel looked at the little fledgling’s wings which were stormy black and far too big for his little body._

_“They’re growing faster than you are huh?” Gabriel said and Cas nodded miserably._

_“Uh huh,” he whimpered, “And it makes it hard to stand still.” Gabriel chuckled quietly and ruffled the little fledgling’s dark hair._

_“You just gotta practice flying,” Gabriel said, “It’s not that hard once you get the hang of it.”_

_“Yeah, but I can’t learn,” Castiel said exasperated._

_“Why not?” Gabriel questioned._

_“There’s no one to teach me,” he explained, miserable again, “Mikey’s too busy and Lucifer and Raphy are scary, Anna won’t help me, and Uriel keeps laughing at me!”_

_“Well what about me? Or Balthazar?” Gabriel asked._

_“Balthazar’s having fun so I didn’t want to ask him,” Cas said, pointing to where his older brother was flying in circles around a frustrated Anna, “And you’ve been gone all the time so I didn’t think you’d have time.”_

_“You really feel like I’ve been gone all the time?” Gabriel asked._

_“No, I know you’ve been gone all the time,” Cas clarified, “Raphy said we can’t let our emotions cloud our jugglement, or something.”_

_“Its judgment, buddy,” Gabriel laughed, “And its okay to feel, in fact its better. Has it made you upset that I haven’t been around much?” Cas nodded, looking down at his feet._

_“You and Balthy are the only ones who are nice to me,” he said, “I had a bad dream last night and you weren’t here and Mikey was gone and Raphy yelled at me so I went to see Lucifer…”_

_“And what did he say to you?” Gabriel asked, concerned._

_“He said he loved me, but I need to be a growed up and go back to bed,” Cas said, his bottom lip trembling, “But I was scared so I went and stayed in your room and then Raphy yelled at me this morning when she found out.” By the time Cas was done there were fat tears running down his face._

_“Hey, hey, shhh,” Gabriel said, gathering the small angel in his arms, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you had a bad dream and I promise I’ll try to be back here before nighttime from now on.” Cas sniffed, but did not remove his arms from where they were latched around Gabriel’s neck._

_“As for learning to fly, I’ll teach you,” Gabriel said and Castiel pulled back._

_“You will?” he asked, his eyes shining bright with anticipation and tears._

_“Yeah sure, why don’t we start right now?” Cas nodded excited and they began practicing. The pair spent the rest of the day in the field, but by the time night fell Cas still had not learned to fly and had gained several scrapes. However, despite that he’d had a great day with his older brother._

_“Goodnight Cas,” Gabriel whispered as he tucked the little boy in._


	10. Curing Confusion

“So, not only did it take Cas forever to learn to fly, but he had nightmares?” Sam asked in surprise. He had always thought of angels as being these celestial beings that didn’t fear anything.

“Oh yeah,” Gabriel said, “He wasn’t always the angel solder with a stick up his ass you know. Once upon a time Cas was a kid, it was Heaven and the fighting that made him what he is now.”

“Hard to imagine,” Dean said and Sam and Bobby both nodded. Before Gabriel could respond there was a flutter of wings and Balthazar appeared.

“I’ve got it!” he cried.

“Got what?” Dean asked.

“The antidote,” Balthazar said, exasperated, “The demon is dead and I’ve got the antidote for Cas.” Dean’s eyes lit up and he looked at the others. Bobby and Sam both looked happy and Gabriel looked as thrilled as Dean. They headed upstairs to where Cas was laying and Gabriel helped his brother sit up while Balthazar poured the antidote into his moth. They waited for a moment with baited breath, but nothing happened.

“Why isn’t it working?” Dean asked impatiently.

“Give it time,” Gabriel said quietly, “He’s been unconscious for almost two months, it’s gonna take time to work.”

“Alright, we’ll leave you guys to it,” Bobby said, putting a hand on Dean’s shoulder and steering him and Sam out of the room. Balthazar sat in a chair next to the bed and watched his younger brother’s face for any signs of waking up.

“He’ll be fine,” Gabriel said and Balthazar looked up and saw the archangel watching him.

“Yeah, of course,” Balthazar said, trying to keep the worry out of his voice, “He’ll be fine.” The two angels sat with their little brother, praying for him to wake up. Several hours later, the two angels were still sitting with Castiel when the angel in the bed groaned.

“Cas?” Balthazar said quietly, leaning forward as the angel groaned again.

“Castiel?” Gabriel murmured and Cas slowly blinked his eyes open, “Hey buddy, can you hear me?” Cas nodded slightly and blinked against the harsh light coming through the window. Balthazar snapped his fingers and the blinds snapped shut, allowing Cas to open his eyes fully.

“Where – Where’m I?” he slurred.

“Bobby Singer’s place,” Gabriel said, “Sam and Dean brought you here; you’ve been sick buddy.”

“I have?” he whispered, his voice rough.

“You’ve been out for over a month,” Balthazar told him and Castiel’s eyes widened in shock.

“A month?” he asked, “But… why?”

“You were cursed,” Gabriel informed him, “But Balthazar managed to kill the demon who was cursing you and got the antidote.” Cas’ eyes flicked between he two angels on either side of him, looking confused.

“Why are you two here?” he asked.

“You were sick buddy,” Gabriel said, “The Winchesters told me, sort of, and I told Balthazar and we came here to take care of you.”

“But why?” Castiel asked.

You’re our little brother,” Balthazar said simply and Cas looked highly confused.

“Is – Is Dean here?” he asked, looking away from them both.

“Yeah, he’s downstairs,” Gabriel said, “Did you want us to get him?” Cas nodded quickly and Gabriel and Balthazar both stood up.

“Do you want one of us to stay with you?” Gabriel asked and Cas shook his head, still not looking at them. Both older angels left the room and went downstairs to get the older Winchester.

“How is he?” Dean asked as soon as he saw Gabriel and Balthazar.

“He’s awake,” Gabriel said, “He wants to see you.” Dean as off the couch and up the stairs before any of them could blink. He slowly walked into the room and his heart ached in a way it only had with Sam when he saw the angel.

“Hey Cas,” Dean said and the angel looked up.

“Dean,” he said, trying to sit up.

“Whoa, whoa, careful,” Dean said, rushing forward. He put his hands on Castiel’s shoulders and the angel grabbed his hands.

“Dean,” Cas repeated.

“Cas, what’s wrong” Dean asked as tears started falling from the angel’s eyes.

“Why are they ere?”

“Who?” Dean asked.

“Gabriel and Balthazar, why are they here?” Cas sobbed, an array of emotions flitting across his face.

“They were worried about you Cas,” Dean said, “As strange as that is for me too say about Gabriel and Balthazar, it’s true.”

“B-But why?” Cas cried, “And why is my vessel leaking!?” Dean chuckled, but stopped when he saw the distraught look on Cas’ face.

“Cas, you’re not leaking,” Dean said gently, “You’re crying. It happens when you’re upset about something. It’s okay to be upset.”

“I don’t like it,” Castiel said, “And I still don’t understand why they’re here.”

“Cas, they’re your brothers–” Dean started, but Cas cut him off.

“That didn’t matter before,” he said.

“What d’you mean?” Dean asked.

“They left, both of them,” Cas said, “They always told me it was okay for an angel to feel, but then Gabriel left and all I felt was pain. Then Balthazar left and it hurt more. So I stopped feeling, just like the rest of my brothers and sisters. You tell me its okay to be upset, but I don’t want to because I don’t want to hurt anymore.” Dean was staring at the angel in shock; he’d never seen Cas like this.

“Cas, did you tell them any of this?” Dean asked.

“No, I was confused and feeling, as you said, upset,” Cas explained, “And I didn’t know why they were here so I asked to see you because you said you would always help me.”

“And I will always help you Cas,” Dean promised, “But, as much as I hate chick flick moments, I think you need to talk to Gabriel and Balthazar. They’ve done nothing, but worry about you these past few weeks. Gabriel hasn’t left your side and Balthazar’s been flying all over the place to find a cure for you.”

“I don’t know if I can Dean,” Cas admitted, hating how weak he sounded.

“You can Cas,” Dean said, “And if it gets to be too much for you I’m right downstairs, okay?” Cas nodded, picking at a loose thread on the blanket. Dean stood up to get the other angels, but was stopped when Cas grabbed his wrist.

“Dean,” he said suddenly, “What was the thing you wanted to tell me when I woke up?”

“You heard that?” Dean asked in surprise.

“I could hear everything,” Cas said, “Whenever Gabriel or Balthazar spoke to me I thought it was just part of my dream, but whenever I hear Sam or Bobby or you, I knew it was real.”

“Once you talk to Gabriel or Balthazar, I’ll tell you what it was, okay?” Dean said and Cas nodded. Dean left the room and back downstairs.

“He wants to talk to you two.”


	11. Why Did You Leave?

Gabriel and Balthazar walked into the room and Cas looked up at them,

“How’re you feeling Cassie?” Gabriel asked.

“I’m in pain and please don’t call me that,” Cas replied.

“You’re chest hurting?” Balthazar asked.

“Yes, but I don’t now why,” Cas said.

“I haven’t changed the bandages yet today,” Gabriel said, “Lie back little brother.” Cas did as he was told with some hesitation and Gabriel started undoing the shirt.

“What happened to me?” Cas asked when he saw the bandages.

“As far as we can tell it was an angel blade,” Balthazar said,

“But I thought you said it was a demon curse?” Cas questioned.

“It was a demon curse that kept you unconscious,” Gabriel explained, “We’re thinking you were probably attacked by an angel after the curse was put on you which is why you don’t remember it.”

“Oh,” Cas said, looking thoughtful. Suddenly, he hissed in pain as Gabriel accidentally pressed on one of his wounds.

“Sorry little bro,” he said.

“Why haven’t they healed yet?” Cas asked, “You said I’ve been unconscious for over a month, they should be healed by now.”

“We think the demon curse slowed down the healing process,” Balthazar said, “Now you’re awake they should start to heal faster.”

“So,” Gabriel said as he rewrapped Castiel’s chest, “What’s going on in that big head of yours?”

“You left,” Cas murmured and Gabriel and Balthazar both froze.

“What?” Balthazar asked, sure he had heard Cas wrong.

“You left, both of you,” Cas said, “I didn’t know what to do or why you had left. In my dream I just kept reliving it. Every bad thing: you both leaving, Dean angry with me, everything. But mostly it was you two. Whenever it was Dean angry with me I could get through it because Dean never stays angry with me. He’s always forgiven me even when I don’t deserve it and when he is angry with me he still helps me.” He paused, wiping away the tears that were flowing freely again.

“But I didn’t know why you two left,” he continued, “One day I just woke up and you were gone… I was alone. I know it is ridiculous to feel this human emotion after all this time, but I don’t what else to feel.” Gabriel and Balthazar exchanged looks, both of them shocked at what Cas had said.

“Cas,” Balthazar said, feeling very out of his element. It had been a long time since he had had to comfort his younger brother.

“I’m sorry,” Gabriel said an Cas and Balthazar both looked at him, “I’m so sorry Castiel. When I left you were still a fledgling and I wanted to stay and protect you, but I couldn’t. After everything that happened with Michael and Lucifer. I couldn’t stay. And I’m sorry that my leaving hurt you like it did.” Gabriel had moved so he was standing next to the bed and put his hand on Cas’ shoulder. Cas unconsciously leaned into the touch and reached up to grip Gabriel’s jacket. The archangel wrapped his arms around his baby brother and held him in a way he hadn’t since Cas was a child.

“I’m sorry too,” Balthazar said, “And you know I mean it cause I never apologize.” Castiel chuckled, thinking how thankful he was that Dean had convinced him to talk to his brothers.

“I felt it was best for me to leave… Those bastards didn’t deserve the weapons and I thought by taking them and faking my own death it would be safer for everyone.”

“But why didn’t you take me with you?” Cas asked, looking between his brothers.

“You were only a child Castiel,” Gabriel said gently, “The life I was going to live wasn’t something you could have dealt with.”

“It would have been better than staying after you left. I thought Heaven and the angels were all good. But they’re not, and it wasn’t until I left and stayed with Dean and Sam that I realized this,” Cas said.

“Our lives wouldn’t have been good for you Cas,” Gabriel said, “The hardest part of leaving was leaving you behind.”

“Besides,” Balthazar smiled, “If you had left Heaven before you meant to then you may not have met the two chuckleheads downstairs.” Cas nodded, starting to understand what his brothers were saying.

“Think you can find it in you to forgive us, my practically human brother,” Gabriel chuckled, poking Cas’ side.

“Yes I believe so,” Castiel replied seriously, “But don’t leave again.”

“We won’t,” Balthazar said, “I mean, bloody hell, can you imagine how Dean-o would react if we left you?”

“I’d kick your ass,” a voice from the doorway said and Cas looked up to see Dean standing there.

“Sorry, it was taking a long time and I wanted to make sure Cas was alright,” Dean said, stepping into the room.

“I’m fine Dean,” Cas said.

“We’ll be downstairs updating Samskwatch and Singer on how this one is doing,” Gabriel said as he and Balthazar left.

“So how are you really?” Dean asked.

“I’m fine,” Cas replied, “And thank you.”

“For what?” Dean asked in confusion.

“For making me talk to them,” Cas replied, “It was very refreshing. But I am still curious about one thing, what was it you wanted to tell me?” Dean smiled and leaned forward…


	12. Epilogue

Several months later things had returned to normal, or as normal as things got for the Winchesters. Castiel had gradually gotten better and regained his strength. They had stayed at Bobby’s until Cas’ chest had healed and even then they went and stayed with the older hunter frequently. Gabriel and Balthazar has kept their promise and didn’t leave Cas permanently again. For a while they still had their own places and would just show up, but eventually Sam pulled his head out of his ass just as Dean had and asked Gabriel to stay.  
After that day where Cas had talked to his brothers, things had been going well between Dean and Cas. Dean still did not like ‘chick flick moments’, but he was much more open about showing his feelings to Cas. He was comfortable enough that it was his prodding that convinced Sam to tell Gabriel how he really felt.

Several weeks after leaving Bobby’s, they found the angel who had attacked Cas. They were right in assuming a demon had cursed him and an angel had taken advantage. Balthazar had discovered that the angel was working for Raphael and had been sent to eliminate Cas. It had taken the combined power of Balthazar, Sam, Dean, and Cas to stop Gabriel from flying off and killing the other archangel.

They weren’t your average family, but it worked for them. Life was back to normal. Just two men and two angels hunting demons.


End file.
